China drives Jaguar Land Rover sales into the fast lane

BOOMING demand from China is set to have driven up second-quarter sales at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

The premium carmaker, which last week boosted the UK economy by announcing it will hire 1,000 new workers at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands, has tapped into a growing desire for “trophy brands” among increasingly affluent consumers in emerging markets.

JLR, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata, is believed to have seen turnover for the three months to September accelerate 30 per cent to £3billion following a 66 per cent jump in sales to China, with profit up by about £16million to £280million compared with the same period last year.